Debt From Gambling Drunk

When you walk into almost any casino and sit down to play if you are 21 or older you can be served alcohol. A lot of gamblers may like to have a few beers as they play the game of their choice. Some gamblers prefer to go out and hit the hottest nightclubs or bars before sitting down to play. As you take your seat and wait for the cards to come out or dice to be handed over you may see a small placard on the table. This placard could have information about the type of game you are playing as well as the minimum and maximum bets. It is also likely that somewhere on the table there will be a sign that says you are not permitted to gamble drunk. If you gamble drunk and lose money is there any potential way to recover your losses?

There is a reason most casinos are not supposed to permit gamblers to play drunk and that is because most states will have some regulation preventing it. If a state does not have a statute prohibiting it then gaming and gambling commissions may have rules that casinos are supposed to abide by. It is a legislative attempt to protect you from yourself along with recognition that they do not want casinos taking advantage of drunken players.

If a casino knowingly permits a gambler who is obviously and visibly drunk to play then there may be liability under a tort theory of negligence if a gambler incurs a loss. When a gambler plays drunk it would probably be considered proximate cause by a casino as the reason a player lost. Some states have had cases decided where a gambler was found to have no duty to protect himself from financial harm if he gambled drunk.

There is apparently some recourse if you play drunk and lose because in theory casinos are supposed to prevent this. Still, the best way to play is with a clear mind. If you decide to gamble under the influence of anything you may be putting yourself in a bad situation. These laws have so far only been tested, to my knowledge, in brick and mortar casinos. If you tried to claim these losses from online play I think it would be very hard to bring suit since the big online poker rooms are located outside of the U.S., it would be hard to prove you were drunk, and there does not appear to be any legislation that places a duty on online poker sites to prevent gambling drunk.